Marshall, whose focus is smoothly shifting from guitar combos to headphones and other audio portables, has introduced the Middleton Bluetooth speaker. The novelty is promised 50 watts of maximum power, a range from 50 Hz to 20 kHz and more than 20 hours of operation at medium volume from three built-in batteries with a total capacity of 9600 mAh. At the same time, the column can be held with one hand (and if it bothers you, a convenient carrying strap will come in handy).
Middleton is positioned by the manufacturer as a new flagship among Bluetooth speakers, although the currently available Marshall Tufton, for example, is much larger. Inside the quite compact Middleton case are two mid-bass speakers and two tweeters. On the bottoms, two passive radiators located at the ends of a rectangular case help. The column uses Bluetooth version 5.1. The alternative is the 3.5mm analog AUX input.
A 360-degree “circle” sound is made possible by front braided and rear perforated grills. The body cover and body are made from 55% recycled plastic. Separately noted that it is “100% non-PVC”. The novelty quite withstands serious water procedures – this is illustrated by a photo on the manufacturer's website, where music lovers from Marshall Middleton, apparently, overcome the water barrier to wade.
Button controls are located on the top panel. In addition to standard functions, for the first time they allow you to adjust the timbres of the high and low frequencies. There is also an indicator showing the levels of these timbres, volume and battery charge. Which, by the way, can also be used in powerbank mode via USB-C. And Middleton also supports Marshall stack mode, where up to 60 “related” devices can play simultaneously using wireless communication.
In the US, the Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker in black with brass fittings is available for $300.
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